Easy DIY Garden Accents

Awning-Striped Painted Flowerpots

Add a cheerful face to plain terra-cotta flowerpots by dressing them in bold stripes. Terra-cotta flowerpots are a staple of container gardening. But their plain face keeps them in the background most of the time. If you'd like to turn them into works worthy of a pedestal, try this simple paint motif. The broad strips and bright contrast are reminiscent of awnings and garden parties.

Terra-Cotta Tile Flowerbed Edging

Dress up the borders of your flowerbeds with these handmade edging tiles. Edging serves several purposes when added to a planting bed: keeping adjacent lawn at bay and reducing mowing and trimming time. But a decorative border, like the one shown here, adds an element of artistic flair all year round.

An Aged Look for Garden Ornaments

Take the glare off new garden accents by applying aged finish. The faux-finish aging techniques described in this project can give that new concrete garden art a warm, weathered look of antiquity that helps it accent, rather than overwhelm, your garden.

A Simple Rosemary Topiary

It's easy to buy ready-trained topiary, but it's fun and satisfying to make your own. Many types of plants are well-suited to shaping, including the herb rosemary used here. It's also possible to train your own topiaries from hollies, ivies, and boxwood, or from flowering plants, such as lantana, fuchsia, and hydrangeas.

Tile-Topped Stepping Stones

Create a pretty garden path with the help of these handmade stepping stones decorated with pieces of ceramic tiles or plates. To keep costs to a minimum, look for chipped or cracked ceramic items at flea markets or neighborhood sales.

Tin Can Luminarias

Brighten your deck or patio with these inexpensive punched-tin lights. Even on a breezy summer evening, these inexpensive luminarias will set a festive mood on your deck or patio. Constructed from discarded cans, they can be any size that works for a votive candle.

Leaf-Painted Flowerpots

Plain terra-cotta flowerpots are attractive and useful, but not really the stars of the gardens. This easy painting project transformed plain pots into works of art. And because this simple technique uses natural materials, each pot is unique. All you need to do is select a color scheme that appeals to you.

A Bentwood Plant Tepee

This willow tepee makes a wonderful garden accent, even when it's not supporting a climbing plant. The formal name for this type of structure is tuteur, from the French word meaning guide and instruct. A tuteur literally guides a plant into a pleasing shape.